Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

Every Monday is personal development through Jiu Jitsu…

This past Friday, I spent the day in Atlantic City. After a crazy 2 hour ride through the Pine Barrens (literally through them) we finally made it. I was there to corner my friend who I train with, Ricardo Romero. He was fighting for a title shot at Louis Neglia’s Ring of Combat, a professional Mixed Martial Arts Organization, like a smaller UFC.

In fact, I saw UFC fighters Gabriel Gonzaga, Dan Miller, Nick Serra, Pete Sell, Dante Rivera, and a host of others as I always do. Each time we go down, I learn more and more about the sport just from watching the way these professionals handle themself. I am lucky enough to train with someone of Ricardo’s caliber, and it has been a great ride since he walked into our gym.

This weekend though, I saw my friend evolve. In my opinion, he went from being a talented fighter, to being great. It made me think for a minute. What does it mean to be great? After watching Ricardo’s second round Rear Naked choke of his opponent, I knew exactly what it meant. But first, let’s look at the journey to get there.

The Road to Greatness

Ricardo has been wrestling since high school. He was a star D1 wrestler at Rutgers University, and like most athletes, he kept training after his career ended. That led him to our gym, and he picked up BJJ, Muay Thai, and MMA, as quick as anyone I have ever seen. Of course, the fact he is a 220 pound athletic specimen with a long history of ground fighting also helps slightly.

However,in my opinion, even with all this talent, it took almost 2 years of fighting for Ric to become great. He is 6-0 now, with 1 DQ.  The DQ was because as he knocked his opponent out, he through a kick that hit his neck when he fell. He immediately grabbed his head like ‘why did I do that‘ before the ref even realized, but it was too late. The punch had knocked the fighter out, and he could not continue. Because of the kick to the neck, Ric was Disqualified. Therefore, he had to lose the title, and now he was fighting for his chance to reclaim it.

Learning and Evolving

I can not be sure, but I think that DQ really changed Ric’s attitude. He came into that fight too laid back, had a chance to finish it early but let it go. Then one punch to his face, and he got beat up for the next two rounds before he suddenly woke up out of his funk. It was then he threw a vicious overhand right that knocked out his opponent. However, he should have never even been in that position. He was better than that.

When you fight, it is a tough balance. You have to be calm, cool, and collected while your heart, mind, and body are going a million miles/hour. If you are too calm, you will not be aggressive enough. If you are too aggressive, you will lose all your wind too quickly, and be easy to gameplan against. You have to be somewhere in the middle. The great fighters all come out like its a day at the park. There is not too much emotion. Just a look of pure focus.

Becoming Great

Becoming great is something we all dream about. No matter if you are a fighter, a writer, or a teacher, we all want to be great at what we do. Ric has always been great. Everyone knew he could be this good. When he turns it on, there are not many who can hang with his pace. However, until this past weekend, I don’t think Ric knew it.

Sure, he knows how good he can be, and he is a relentless worker, but when you fight, the real battle is inside your head. Getting in the cage is easy. Getting to the cage in the proper frame of mind, and in the right condition, is the real battle. You have to train everyday, eat right, cut weight, travel, and then when it is time, you have to be able to bring your A game. It takes some time to get used to the whole thing, both physically and mentally.

This past weekend, Ric knew everything he wanted to do down to the minute. As we were watching the earlier fights, I kept asking him, are we going to warm up now? ‘No.’ My Instructor Brian Katz, who owns Advanced Martial Arts, kept telling him, we have to go warm up. ‘Nope, not yet’ he said. About the 9th fight, I want to go down. We didn’t agree, but okay. Whatever you say.

After the 9th fight, we went down, got his hands wrapped and signed, and began warming up. Ric was as calm and focused as I have ever seen him. He hit the pads nice and easy, warming up his body, and getting loose. Then, finally right before we were about to go to the on-deck area, he began really banging.

At the on-deck area, he continued warming up nice and easy. I got him his energy drink, which he knew exactly when he wanted to drink it. He had a plan, and no one could convince him other wise. From my perspective, another way of putting it was he was in the zone.

Accomplishing Great Things

Then came fight time. We were fighting a fighter we had become friendly with over the course of Ric’s career. He is a smart fighter, not nearly as talented as Ric, but definitely dangerous. If Ric has a weak spot, it would be his stand up. Not because he is bad at it, but just because he is so good on the ground it does not compare.

His opponent’s plan was to stand with him. As soon as the fight began though, it was all Ric’s world. He moved with the perfect blend of agression and calmness. No matter what his opponent tried to do, it was unsuccessful. Ric owned the cage. He didn’t just beat up his man. He completely shut him down. Every fighter gets beat up now and again. It comes with the territory, so it is not really a big deal. But when someone is just better than you technically in every aspect of a fight, it can be really frustrating. You feel helpless. How do you attack someone who seems invincible?

After the opponent tapped out right in front of us, we all jumped up for joy. I pumped my fist, cause I was in amazement. If Ric was a painter, this fight would be his masterpiece. He had really evolved.

That’s when it dawned on me. Ric had become a great fighter. Not cause he won. Not cause he did so well. Not even cause he finally put it all together. No, Ric became great way before this fight. It just took this fight for us to see it. Ric became great for one reason…

He believed it himself.

Believing In Your Self

What does it mean to be great? It means to believe you are, without any hint of doubt at all. There is no easy way to do this. It is something you have to work very hard to achieve. No other sport is this more apparent then Mixed Martial Arts, where it is you, your opponent, the cage, and the unexpected. 

How could I tell Ric believed he was great? This was the first time that Ric told us what to do. Throughout the night, he made comments about things he knew better now. For instance, he knew when he wanted to warm up & when he wanted to drink his energy drink. He mentioned that he wanted to try and come out more aggressive this fight. He talked about the changes he made this time around and that is proof of his evolution.

Why would a fighter want to come out more aggressive? They do because they believe more in them self. The fear of losing is a battle in itself for a fighter. No one wants to lose. However, if you fight not to lose, chances are, you will. That is the balance, or the yin and the yang, if you will. When Ric mentioned he planned to be more aggressive, I knew he was ready. He knew he was going to win. I could tell he was visualizing not only winning, but destroying his opponent.

The Key to Achieving Great Things

No matter what you do, becoming great at it is always the goal. The question is, do you become great after you do great things, or before? I believe it is before. To become great, you have to push yourself to evolve. It all starts with your mindset. Answer these questions in your head before reading on…

1. What do you want to be great at?
2. Do you really believe you can be great?
3. How do you define being great?
4. Does it matter if others recognize your greatness?

#1 is your preference. I’m sure everyone said ‘yes’ to #2. Number 3 has no right answer. Whatever you define it as is what it is. Just make sure you have some idea of a definition of greatness. As for #4, I think the answer should be no. Some may believe it is motivating to get recognition, but I believe it is distracting. Being great at something means your entire focus is on it. If you are worried about the crowd, or what your friends may say, then how can you focus on your goal?

Sometimes it takes witnessing other’s greatness to push you towards your own. Ric’s performance was inspirational. It showed proof in the fact that if you work very hard, and believe in yourself, you can become anything you want in life.

In the comments, tell me….how do you define being great?

I’ll go first…

To me, Greatness is defined by your focus. Once you become great, you have to maintain that focus each and every time in order to stay great. In order for me to be great, I must be focused on my goal and in my belief in myself. If those are equally balanced, then I can achieve anything I imagine.

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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

“There’s a war going on outside no man is safe from. You can run but you can’t hide forever.” -Mobb Deep

Nothing like a little hip hop to get the morning started. Today I am pumped up. Not sure why, but I hope to get all of you hyped as well so LOOK OUT!

Yin vs Yang is all about the inner battles we each have. Today, I wanted to touch on another type of inner battle every animal has experienced: Fight or flight.

This has been a natural battle for humanity since the dawn of time. However, in today’s world the fight or flight battle is a little less blunt, or so it seems. Back in the day, cavemen either fought or fled for their lives. It was a simple concept. Either choose to stand your ground, or you better run for your life. You want something, you have to take it. If a caveman was not willing to take it, then they could not have it. Life was simple.

Today, though, life is much more complicated. You can’t just go out there and take what you want. This is a civilized world now in which people try to respect each other. There is no need for arguments, fights, or anything of the sort in order to make it through life today. Life is a lot more complicated than fight or flight these days.  Right?

HELL mother-f-ing NO!!!!

That’s just what everyone wants you to believe. And if you do, I will say this as clear as I can: You are a sucker.  A SUCKER!!!

Successful people, or at least all the ones I have met or studied, went after exactly what they wanted. They did not beat around the bush. They set something in their sights and did not stop till it was theirs. They did not back down from any challenges. They did not think about what other people were doing or saying. They simply stuck to their instinct and went ALL OUT with it.

In order to be successful, you must be willing to go all out. Do not think success is going to come without a fight.  Now, when I say fight, I don’t mean a little scrap behind the woods after school either. I mean you need to be prepared to fight for your life like cavemen used to against Sabertooth Tigers.

You need to understand that’s the type of battle you are in right now if you want to succeed. You need to prepare every time as if you’re facing the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

Millions of people.  Maybe even billions, are doing everything in their power RIGHT NOW to be more successful than you.  Whatever business you are in, however it is you earn your paycheck, there is someone out there who would gladly take your place. In this life, it is all about fighting for your position. If you don’t fight for what you want, you will only get what’s given to you.

I train MMA and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I get to see up close what makes an MMA fighter successful and what does not. The funny thing is, it takes exactly the same traits to be successful in the cage as it does life. I mean, it is down right identical. Think like the prosecutor in the movie My Cousin Vinny, ‘I-(clap)-Dentical’. No matter what business you are in, if you want to be successful, then you must think like a cage fighter.

Cage fighters are successful for these reasons:

Preparation

How prepared are you? A successful cage fighter goes to every extreme to make sure they are prepared. If possible, they will study their opponents on YouTube or ask around for friends who may have trained with them. They will bring in other fighters similar to their opponents to become even more prepared. By the time they are ready to fight, there is not one ounce of preparation they have not done. Being a great fighter is about finding the perfect balance between your physical body and your mind. This is all accomplished during preparation.

Endurance

MMA fans love the knockout, probably because of its excitement and relative rarity. However, even though a knockout is the goal, every fighter prepares to go the full distance. This is because, when you reach the big leagues, counting on a knockout is horseshit. A fighter must train till their endurance is at such a peak level, the fight is just a joke. That is why, many fighters look so ready on fight night. They have trained to fight an hour long war, even though the fight is usually only 15 minutes. Remember, training is the hard part. The fight is the party where you get to show off what you’ve accomplished.

Adaptability

Every great fighter comes in with a plan. They may try to avoid their opponent’s takedowns, push the pace, keep it standing, etc. No matter the plan, though, a fight is a fight. ANYTHING can happen. The littlest thing, such as a slip of the foot, or sweat in your eye, can cause the whole fight to change. Real fighters have a plan, but are also able to adapt on the fly. If things go haywire, they keep calm and cool, working through the tough spot as best they can. It’s what they have trained for. They stay focused and they adapt. They don’t live or die by what they planned. They just use it as a guide. They know adaptability is key to any victory.

Killer Instinct

This is probably the single trait that separates a good fighter from a great fighter. In the cage, when you get an opportunity to put the fight away, you must have that killer instinct. I have seen many fighters take it too easy when their opponent is about to go. They feel comfortable because they are winning.  They don’t see how that will change. That is until the opponent hits them across the chin with a lucky counter punch. All of a sudden, what once seemed like an easy victory, now becomes the fight of their life. If a great fighter sees an opportunity to finish, they move in like sharks that smell blood, and finish off their opponent for the win.

Talk is Cheap

The pre-fight hype stuff is always classic. Who does not like seeing two raging animals talking defiantly about why they are going destroy the other? I have seen all sorts of shenanigans before a fight. Fighters will force opponents to go lose an extra 1/4 pound at weigh-ins. Some fighters act as if they hate their opponents. Some try to put on crazy persona’s in order to mess with their foes.

However, the best fighters always have the same, calm, emotionless look. They simply look prepared. These fighters know all the showboating, tough talk, and antics will all disappear once that cage door shuts. Talk is cheap. The only thing that matters is results.

Mental Fortitude

The greatest thing about MMA is that there will probably never be an undefeated champion. Everyone loses at one time or another. There are too many variables in Mixed Martial Arts to have someone be perfect all the time. The same goes for life. Cage fighters will have to deal with a loss at one time or another. It never feels good to feel like they let down their family, coaches, and training partners. Imagine preparing for something will all your energy for months on end, and then getting knocked out by a lucky shot in the first round. Believe me, IT SUCKS!

Great cage fighters learn from their losses. They go back and try to strengthen their weaknesses. They let the loss motivate themselves to reach an even higher level of effectiveness.  They have the mental fortitude to know the best thing for them is to get right back in the cage. Win or lose, they can always fight again. After all, it’s always about the next fight anyway.

The Present is All That Matters

Great cage fighters do not worry about the past or future. They worry about the now. I have seen many fighters face an opponent that knocked them out previously. Some can handle it, and some attract the same result all over again. It all depends on the mind set. Real fighters know each fight is different, no matter what happened the last time. Each fight is on a different night, with different circumstances, at different arenas, and with different crowds. There is no two fights that are ever exactly the same.  All that matters is the fight you are in NOW. Not the one from last year. Not the one in two months. Real Cage fighters know the only opponent they face is the one standing in front of them.

We’re all Friends in the End

Cage fighters may try to kill each other during the fights, but in the end, there is nothing but respect. Every fighter respects anyone who is willing to go toe-to-toe with them. Whether they beat them, or they lost, their is always respect for the opponent. The reason is, every fighter has been on both sides of the stat column. Plus, without your opponent’s effort, there would be no victory. This is why it is always of the utmost importance to respect anyone you do battle with. It is the code of the warrior. No reason to hold a grudge. They were just trying to win like you.

Think Like a Cage Fighter on Your Way To Success

Now it’s up to you. You don’t have to wear 4 ounce gloves to think like a cage fighter. Remember, nothing in life is given to you. If you want something, then you must go out there and take it, just like the cavemen used to do.

Article by Peter Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

If you are not a fan of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), or the UFC, then you probably have never heard of Lyoto ‘the Dragon’ Machida.  However, you do not have to be a fan to appreciate his story.  He is a wonderful example of the unlimited power of the mind, and I learned a lot about the human spirit from the story of his life.  Here is a brief synopsis of his background from Wikipedia…

Lyoto Carvalho Machida (born May 30, 1978) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial arts fighter. Son of a Japanese-Brazilian Shotokan Karate master Yoshizo Machida, Lyoto is a rising star in MMA. He is currently ranked as the #3 light heavyweight fighter in the world by Sherdog.

Machida began training in karate at the age of four, earning his black-belt at the age of 13. He began training in Sumo at 12 and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at 15. He won a number of amateur karate tournaments, including 2001 Pan American Karate tournament. He was also runner up in the 2000 Brazilian Sumo Championships in the 115-kg division.

In addition to his Sumo and Karate achievements, he has a college degree in Physical Education. Lyoto’s brother, Chinzo, is a Shotokan vice-champion (Australia 2006), losing only to #1 ranked Shotokan master Koji Ogata. Lyoto and Chinzo fought in a Karate Final 10 years ago in which Lyoto gave Chinzo a cheek scar that still exists today. His other brother, Kenzo Machida, is a TV journalist for one of Brazil’s biggest TV stations.

What I found most interesting about the life of Lyoto Machida is the role his father played in his development.  When Lyoto was a young, young boy, his Father noticed his signature toughness and told him he had the spirit of a Samurai within him.  This would effect the outcome of his entire life.  For the rest of his days, the one thing Lyoto’s Father always made clear, was that Lyoto had a Samurai Spirit.

“I can understand the real thinking of the samurai because the martial arts came from Japan,” he reflected. “The samurai thinks as much as he fights in the martial arts. Then my father always teached me (sic) about everything—about technique, but about out of the ring.” –Lyoto Machida from here.

Flash forward to present day.

Lyoto is currently fighting in the 205 lb Light Heavyweight division.  If you do not watch MMA, then I will give you a little insight into the weight classes.  Most fighters, in order to get an edge, cut weight before the weigh ins.  This means a man who normally weighs 225 lbs can cut down to 205 lbs the day before his fight.

After the weigh ins, the fighters are free to re-hydrate themselves, and eat up.  By the time they walk into the ring, they can weigh nearly 215-220 lbs again.  Lyoto is not one of these fighters.  He walks around at about the weight he fights at.  In fact, he usually weighs a few pounds less than the required weight, so he is not the biggest, baddest fighter by far.  He is more of a technician, and a good one at that.  He mixes many different fighting styles into a blend he can call his own, to defeat larger, more powerful opponents.

In the UFC, where the elite of MMA are, being a technician is not enough.  You need to be tougher than you can ever imagine.  This is because, the real fight in MMA is against yourself.  MMA is a war of attrition.  Sure, you have to be a good fighter, but anything, and I mean anything, can happen in a fight.  A slip here, a distraction there, or a bad call by the ref, can alter the entire make-up of a fight.  It is during these moments a fighter finds out who they are.

“Many men feel that they should act according to the time or the moment they are facing, and thus are in confusion when something goes beyond this and some difficulty arises.  The man whose profession is arms should calm his mind and look into the depths of others. Doing so is likely the best of the martial arts.“  –Shiba Yoshimasa (1350-1410)

When Lyoto Machida gets into rough spots like this, you can see the spirit light up his face.  It seems, as the situation gets more dire, Lyoto actually gets stronger.  His eyes light up, his focus unites, and the spirit of the Samurai lifts him out of trouble.  It is amazing to watch as this unassuming man turns into a warrior at the first sign of trouble.

I believe this is directly due to his father.  His father, a Karate master himself, obviously knew about the power of the warrior spirit.  By constantly reinforcing his son’s belief in his own spirit’s power, Lyoto grew to have a spirit stronger than any of his challengers.  He full well believes, with every ounce of his being, that he has a Samurai spirit living within him.  This singular belief, that he has had since he was a small child, has carried him to victory in countless areas of life.

You don’t have to fight in a cage to benefit from the Samurai spirit.

Any challenge you face in life is a test of your spirit.  Humans are remarkable beings that have consistently overcome insurmountable odds to achieve what was once thought impossible.  The reason is solely due to their belief in themselves.  For example, no one ever ran a 4 minute mile before it was broken in the early  1950s.  Within two years, eight other people broke the record.  Coincidence?  Or do you think that these other people finally believed it was possible once they heard someone else did it?

Anything is possible.  Humans have always dreamed of being able to fly.  Well now we have helicopters, jets, planes, and space shuttles.  Humans have always dreamed of a time machine.  Now we have television, dvds, movie theaters, and documentaries which can re-create what past times may have been like.  The point is, whatever your dream may be, no matter how far-fetched it may seem, it is definitely possible in some way or another.

All you have to do is believe in yourself.

Remember about the Samurai spirit the next time you are ready to give up.  Remember how it has carried Lyoto through his most pressing times.  I always say MMA reflects the challenges we face in life.  Try to use the same tools these fighters do.  Believe in your preparation, in your own ability, and great things will be sure to come.

Such is the way of the Samurai….

“Life is like unto a long journey with a heavy burden. Let thy step be slow and steady, that thou stumble not. Persuade thyself that imperfection and inconvenience are the natural lot of mortals, and there will be no room for discontent, neither for despair. When ambitious desires arise in thy heart, recall the days of extremity thou has passed through. Forbearance is the root of quietness and assurance forever. Look upon the wrath of the enemy. If thou knowest only whatit is to conquer, and knowest not what it is to be defeated, woe unto thee; it will fare ill with thee. Find fault with thyself rather than with others.” –Ieyasu Tokugawa (1543-1616)